Irish attacking midfielder Kevin Thornton played under Dale Belford at Tamworth and Rugby Town, and is someone who Belford feels he can get the best out of.

Having played 50 times for Coventry City, during which time he had a spell on loan at Brighton and Hove Albion, he linked up with Northampton Town and spent a couple of seasons at Sixfields.

That proved to be his last taste of the Football League, dropping into the Conference with Wrexham and Nuneaton Town, before he linked up with Belford for the first time at Tamworth.

Locally, he has played for Barwell and Rugby Town over the last couple of seasons and most recently played for Coventry United last season, in which he won the Midland League Premier Division’s Player of the Year award.